Coordinator, Health Policy and Service Design

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

For the Future: Towards the Healthiest and Safest Region outlines a vision for WHO work with Member States and partners in the Western Pacific. Strong, resilient, sustainable health systems are integral to delivering the four thematic priorities. Up to 60% of people living in some countries in the Region do not have access to safe, quality and affordable health services and medicines. One in five families spend 10% of their income on health care. This threatens individuals, families, communities and economies. The Division of Health Systems (DHS) will contribute to taking forward the vision of, and the thematic priorities in For the Future. DHS will support Member States with high quality advice and assistance on health financing, health workforce, medical products, quality and safety, law and governance, women and children, rehabilitation, surgery and health services including primary health care so that they can build resilient, responsive and sustainable health systems.

Unit Mandates:

Health Policy and Service Design (HPS) - HPS supports Member States to develop and implement policies, strategies plans and service delivery design, including primary health care, to strengthen governance, financing, health workforce in order to ensure access to needed promotive, preventative, curative, rehabilitative and palliative services without financial hardship.

Essential Medicines and Health Technologies (EMT) - EMT supports Member States to strengthen pharmaceutical systems and regulations, including for traditional medicines to ensure equitable access to quality-assured, safe and effective therapies and health technologies and works along with other programmes to accelerate the fight against antimicrobial resistance in the Western Pacific Region.

Maternal Child Health and Quality Safety (MCQ) - MCQ supports Member States to improve health systems to provide the best and safest possible health facility services to all people, regardless of race, beliefs, gender, economic and social condition and to ensure universal health coverage (UHC) serves all people, starting from women and children.

Health Law and Ethics (HLE) - HLE supports Member States to understand, develop and implement quality and ethical legal frameworks for health. Grounded in human rights and international good practice standards, legal frameworks for health guide transformative policies and innovative programming.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the guidance and supervision of the Director, Health Systems and Services, the incumbent will perform the following duties:

Regional technical leadership and delivering high quality technical assistance to Member States and support to country offices:

-Provide technical support to country offices (COs) and Member States in the design, implementation and evaluation of health policies, including health financing arrangements to support UHC. Support capacity-building for Member States and COs;

-As regional focal point in the Regional Office, provide technical guidance and leadership on health system governance, financing, policy and service delivery including health workforce, rehabilitation, care pathways and primary health care. Coordinate with country offices and support high level policy dialogue with multi-stakeholder engagement to promote abovementioned areas to advance UHC and health-related SDG in Member States;

-Supervise and lead evidence generation in the area of health systems governance and financing. Disseminate evidence, to be used for policy-making, including UHC and SDG monitoring, resource tracking (health accounts), household survey analysis on access to services and financial protection, and policy briefs.

Fostering Partnership with external and WHO stakeholders:

-Support health policy development, assist technical consultations and policy dialogues by establishing close working relationships with WHO headquarters, country offices, other WHO regions, units within DHS and other divisions in the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in order to support delivery of shared objectives;

-Manage partnership with development partners in particular, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Gavi, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the International Monetary Fund on health policy and financing;

​​​​​​​-Develop and manage network of regional technical experts in health financing and health service delivery including WHO collaborating centres and other research and think tank experts.

Managing and implementing workplan of Health Policy and Service Design (HPS) unit:

-Lead HPS team’s contributions to the core deliverables of For the Future priorities;

-Lead the HPS unit in planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and reporting of programme area;

-Lead the team in setting and delivering their objectives by making the best use of the expertise of each staff, building capacity of the team, providing regular performance feedback and addressing any gaps;

-Ensure effective implementation, programme and financial management of all HPS funds to ensure alignment with For the Future;

-Liaise with other technical units and divisions within the Regional Office and headquarters to ensure effective cross-sectoral collaboration and support to country offices in achieving priorities of the Thirteenth General Programme of Work;

-Mobilize resources to meet funding requirements;

-Create a positive and respectful work environment;

-Support HPS staff in learning and development including real-time coaching;

-Contribute to overall DHS leadership.

Liaising with Country Offices and Headquarters:

-Effectively collaborate with COs and headquarters to coordinate global and regional initiatives through joint planning;

-Liaise with COs to provide strategic guidance in communicating CO’s priorities;

-Provide coordination in CO’s planning and implementation of priorities in line with For the Future.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced university degree (master’s level equivalent) in public health particularly on health financing or health economics, health systems, health policy, health planning and management or related field from a recognized university.
Desirable: Training in public policy, development studies, health service development, health financing, health policy and management, programme evaluation.

Experience

Essential: Minimum of ten years’ experience in health financing planning, health services planning, health policy development or managing public health programmes or related field with at least five years experience at senior position at national and international levels.
Desirable: Experience at national or international level in developing bilateral partnerships with development organizations. Working knowledge of UN agencies, multilateral development banks or WHO.

Skills

1. High level of expertise and knowledge in health financing and at least one other area of health systems;
2. Expertise in developing national health financing and health systems development strategies;
3. Expertise in prioritization, resource allocation, work planning, implementation and monitoring technical and financial progress in health care delivery;
4. Expertise in managing a team – including recruiting staff, allocating responsibilities, motivating, coaching and supporting professional development of staff;
5. Strong knowledge of policy-making process at international and national levels;
6. Knowledge of health financing and health care delivery development and management issues in developing countries;
7. Knowledge of processes for developing and monitoring national health policies, strategies and plans, health financing and health coordination mechanisms and partnerships.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Driving the Organization to a Successful Future
Ensuring the effective use of resources
Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of written and spoken English.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of other UN language.

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 89,837 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 3608 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

• WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• WHO has a mobility policy which can be found at the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/en/. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.